Class will be held on Saka Dawa Day - Monday

 Monday's class on Saka Dawa day, June 4, WILL BE HELD at 4:00 p.m. in the upstairs classroom (not in the Shrine Room).\

Class on Saturday (not on Friday)

FRIDAY's class on JUNE 1 has been cancelled and rescheduled to SATURDAY, JUNE 2 at 4:00 p.m.  Monday's class on Saka Dawa day, June 4, WILL BE HELD at 4:00 p.m.  Both Saturday and Monday's classes will be held in the upstairs classroom (not in the Shrine Room).

Friday's class is rescheduled due to H.H. Dalai Lama's teaching in the morning at TCV and Je-tsun Tenzin Palmo's teaching at 3:00 p.m. at Tushita.

Class 18 - Debate imprecise assertion re Buddha Jewels

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 18th class of Spring 2012 term held on Wednesday, May 23.

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 18:

Handout 16 - Decisive Analysis by Panchen Sonam Drakpa - dialectical analysis of the Three Jewels categorized into:  I. Refuting Others' Systems; & II. Presenting Our Own System.  I. Refuting Other Systems’ definitions of the (1) Buddha Jewel, (2) Dharma Jewel, and (3) Sangha Jewel.  I.  REFUTING OTHERS’ DEFINITIONS of (1) Buddha Jewel (“A source of refuge that possesses the eight qualities of being conditioned, and so forth.”)  [Generalities & Instances].  Cont. next classes.

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review.

• Accumulating Merit (a Non-Associated Compositional Factor) & Purifying Negativities – essence of Buddhist Practice.

Introduction to Debate – Terminology, Definitions & Reality – Imputation:  

• Decisive Analysis – Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s debate manual mode of presentation.  HANDOUT 16.
• Note: on class Handouts, a black Dot in the left margin indicates that ‘someone’ is presenting a view that will be disputed in debate.

• Four Seals – include all of Buddhist philosophy:

All contaminated phenomena are in the nature of suffering.
All conditioned, compounded phenomena are impermanent. 
All phenomena are Empty and Selfless. 
Nirvana is peace.

Track 2 - Definition (མཚན་ཉིད་) & Definiendum (མཚོན་བྱ་) & Imputation:

• That which is defined is called the Definiendum.  
• A Definition has a Definiendum.   
• Definition and Definiendum need to be related so that: 
• Whatever accords with the Definition must be that Definiendum, and
• Whatever is the Definiendum must accord with that Definition. ….

Debating Wrong Views

• Structure of Debate:  Dialectical analysis of the Three Jewels is categorized into:

1. Refuting others' systems
2. Presenting our own system

Refuting Wrong Views re the Three Objects of Refuge per Decisive Analysis

I.  Buddha Jewel

Someone asserts the definition of a Buddha Jewel is:

"a source of refuge that has the Eight Qualities of being unconditioned, and so forth as their qualities."

HANDOUT 12 – The ‘meaning’ of Buddha Jewel is:

“a perfected source of refuge that is endowed with the Eight Qualities, such as the quality of the unconditioned, and so forth.”  (General Meaning)

Background

• Decisive Analysis gives very precise definitions. 
• The General Meaning text provides more general meanings.

• Review:  A Buddha Jewel is any quality (kaya) of the Buddha; not necessarily a Buddha person (imputed upon those kayas/qualities).

Track 3 -  Refutation by Distinguishing:

Arya Mahayanist & Buddha Jewel.

• Panchen Sonam Drakpa says the:

“definition (of Buddha Jewel) is not correct because an Arya Mahayanist (i.e., an Arya who is on any of the three Arya Mahayana paths) is not a Buddha Jewel but accords with the definition.”

• Review meanings of Arya Mahayanist, an Arya, a Mahayanist.

Hinayana Arhat, Mahayana Arhat & Arhat

   Arhats are distinguished by their Foes:

• Hinayana Arhat destroys the foe of Afflictive Obstructions.

• Mahayana Arhat has destroyed the foe of Cognitive Obstructions (on the Eighth Ground of the Path of Meditation).

• Arhat can refer to either of those two.

• After Afflictive Obstructions (produced by the root Ignorance) are eliminated, Cognitive Obstructions remain to be eliminated in order to attain omniscience of Buddhahood.

• Cognitive Obstructions are the persistent imprints of the mind that grasps onto inherent existence. 

• Due to Cognitive Obstructions, for Hinayana Arhats and Eighth Ground Arya Bodhisattvas the 'appearance' of inherent existence remains and prevents their simultaneous perception of Two Truths. 

Q&A.  

Track 4 -  Generalities & Instances

• Know qualities of Generalities (e.g., person) via its Instances (e.g., man / woman). 
• Confusing Generalities & Instances causes lots of problems (e.g., Racism). 

• Debating Generalities (Buddha Jewel) & Instances  (Mahayana Arya).  
• Example of Debate based on Panchen Sonam Drakpa's rebuttal above.  

Note:  When the debaters are students who are studying the same textbook author, they must accept the definitions of that author.

• Absurd consequence of overly broad meaning of Buddha Jewel presented by Panchen Sonam Drakpa:

[It follows that] Arya Mahayanists are a source of refuge that have the Eight Qualities of being unconditioned, and so forth, as their qualities.  

Arya Mahayanists have the Eight Qualities, such as being unconditioned, and so forth as their qualities because Arya Buddhas have these eight as their qualities. If Arya Buddhas have these eight as their qualities, Arya Mahayanists must also have them as their qualities because Arya Buddhas are Arya Mahayanists.

This argument is similar to saying that someone who has lost a leg has two legs because of being a human being and since "human beings have two legs".

NOTES of Class 18 (May 23) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.  

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 18th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 17 - Analogies for Jewel, Common Yana, conclude General Meaning

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 17th class of Spring 2012 term held on Monday, May 21. [No class was held on Friday, 5/18, so that Geshe-la could serve as translator for Denma Locho Rinpoche’s Chenrezig initiation at Tushita.]

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 17:

Handout 14 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #3 -  Difference between a Conventional & Ultimate Refuge, cont.:  Debate re meaning of Conventional Refuge objects per Nagarjuna 's Fundamental Wisdom (Mulamadhyamikakarika) & Asanga's Great Commentary of the Uttaratantra."  4 Syllogisms (Maitreya's Sublime Continuum (Uttaratantra): reasons why a particular object of refuge is Conventional, not Ultimate.  #4 - Meaning of the word 'Jewel' - དཀོན་མཆོག་:  citing points of Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the (Maitreya's) Uttaratantra verse re I. rarity, II. purity, III. power of Refuge Jewels.

Handout 15 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #4 - Meaning of the word 'Jewel' - དཀོན་མཆོག་: citing points of Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the (Maitreya's) Uttaratantra verse of 6 qualities:, cont.: IV. ornaments of the world, V. foremost and VI . do not change by praise or criticism. #5 - How one should take refuge from viewpoint of common and uncommon vehicles & latter’s 4 superior qualities.  Seven Outstanding Benefits of Taking Refuge. Eight sets of Pratimoksha vows.  “If the merit of taking refuge had a form ...”  Concludes General Meaning’s presentation of Three Objects of Refuge.

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Spring 2012 – REFUGE (Lam Rim Chen-mo material)

• Three types of Faith (emotional states) based on Reasoning - Aspiring Faith, Faith of Conviction and Inspired Faith.   
• Generating Faith by Understanding Good Qualities of Refuge Jewels.

Reflections on Guru Devotion.

Track 2 - Review, cont. - Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s General Meaning textbook on the Ornament for Clear Realizations:

I.  Causal Refuge and Resultant Refuge: 

• 2 types of Refuge & 3 types of Faith. 
• Resultant Refuge – Three Vehicles or One Final Vehicle.

II.  Two versions of Shakyamuni Buddha’s Life Story (Bodhisattva Vehicle & Fundamental Vehicle).

Shakyamuni 

Per Bodhisattva (Sanskrit) Vehicle:                          Per Fundamental (Pali) Vehicle:


                                                       Became Enlightened:
Aeons ago                                                              2,500 years ago in Bodhgaya.

                                                        Was Born as a:
Supreme Nirmanakaya who manifested                   Bodhisattva sentient being whose
‘faults’ while enacting the Deeds of a Wheel          ignorance was genuine.
Turning Buddha.

III.  Eight Qualities of Each Jewel described by Maitreya

   Conventional Refuge & Ultimate Refuge vis-à-vis conventional [kun dzob - ཀུན་རྫོབ་] and ultimate

  Meaning of Tibetan term (དཀོན་མཆོག་) used for Three Jewels (Ratna)

IV.  Maitreya explains the meaning of “Jewel” by way of Six Analogies in Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).

First two analogies:  1) Rare, 2) Free of Defilement.

1.  “Just as the occurrence of wish-fulfilling gems in this world is rare, the occurrence of the Three Jewels is rare.”

  Few are interested in Buddha Dharma

[C]ountless sentient beings do not have the root virtue to encounter the Three Jewels. Therefore, having encountered the Three Jewels we should make a great effort to properly take refuge and practice the teachings. 

                    - Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the Uttaratantra

2.    “Just as wish-fulfilling gems are free from defilements such as dust, the Three Jewels are free from faults.”  Therefore, Gyaltsab Je's Uttaratantra Commentary says:

The Three Jewels are the perfect refuge. Thus, we should not rely on other refuges such as worldly deities, etc.

This is not a prohibition against relationship with non-Buddhist religious practices, etc., only a caution that they are not methods for attaining enlightenment since they have other goals, e.g., the goal of Christianity is to attain higher rebirth.

Review concludes.

Track 3 - Maitreya’s Six Analogies for “Jewel”, cont. [HANDOUT 15]

3.  “Just as wish-fulfilling gems possess the power to alleviate poverty, the Three Jewels possess the power to eradicate disciple's suffering.”

4.  “Just as wish-fulfilling gems are ornaments of the world, the Three Jewels are ornaments for those striving for liberation.”

According to Gyaltsab Jey, the Three Jewels are “ornaments for the world” because they “are not only able to take us to higher rebirths, liberation, and Buddhahood, but also to assist us in accomplishing worldly activities.”

E.g., as a by-product by cherishing others and wishing for happiness in future lives, we gain more happiness in this life.

5.  “Just as wish-fulfilling gems are foremost among gems, the Three Jewels are foremost among objects of refuge.”

Per Gyaltsab Jey, #5 is similar to #2 above, suggesting that if our goals are not self-liberation or enlightenment other traditions may be effective.

6.  “Just as wish-fulfilling gems do not change through being praised or criticized, the Three Jewels do not change through being praised or criticized.”

Per Gyaltsab Jey, this teaches that “the Three Jewels benefit sentient beings indiscriminately”.

“Common Vehicle” practices of Refuge.

Discussion:  Are Tibetan Mahayanists chauvinists if they assert superiority of Mahayana Refuge?  Do Westerns who assert that being overly P.C. or lacking in cultural/historical sensitivity?

Mahayana Refuge distinguished from Common Vehicle Refuge by four qualities per Panchen Sonam Drakpa [based on Ornament of the Mahayana Sutra - Mahayana-sutralamkara – taught by Maitreya to Asanga]:

Since the Mahayana [refuge] is foremost
Due to the natural categorization of the four qualities of
Being all-inclusive, considering, realizing, and outshining
That which is well taken refuge in is called 'the foremost object of refuge.

Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s summation: “Therefore, it is important to understand that our refuge must be induced by an understanding of the numerous qualities of our objects of refuge.”

Track 4 - Conclusion of General Meaning’s presentation of Refuge:

Udbhata Saddhasvamin’s Praise of the Exalted One (Visesa-stava)

• Seven Outstanding Benefits of taking Refuge in the Three Jewels.
• Taking Refuge is the Root of the Eight [sets of] Self-Liberation Vows.
• Eight sets of Pratimoksha [Self-Liberation] Vows.

NOTES of Class 17 (May 21) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.  

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 17th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 16 - Ultimate & Conventional Objects of Refuge Distinguished - Maitreya's Syllogisms

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 16th class of Spring 2012 term held on Wednesday, May 16. [No class was held on Monday, 5/14.]

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 16:

Handout 14 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #3 -  Difference between a Conventional & Ultimate Refuge, cont.:  Debate re meaning of Conventional Refuge objects per Nagarjuna 's Fundamental Wisdom (Mulamadhyamikakarika) & Asanga's Great Commentary of the Uttaratantra."  4 Syllogisms (Maitreya's Sublime Continuum (Uttaratantra): reasons why a particular object of refuge is Conventional, not Ultimate.  #4 - Meaning of the word 'Jewel' - དཀོན་མཆོག་:  citing points of Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the (Maitreya's) Uttaratantra verse re I. rarity, II. purity, III. power of Refuge Jewels.

Handout 15 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #4 - Meaning of the word 'Jewel' - དཀོན་མཆོག་: citing points of Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the (Maitreya's) Uttaratantra verse of 6 qualities:, cont.: IV. ornaments of the world, V. foremost and VI . do not change by praise or criticism. #5 - How one should take refuge from viewpoint of common and uncommon vehicles & latter’s 4 superior qualities.  Seven Outstanding Benefits of Taking Refuge. Eight sets of Pratimoksha vows.  “If the merit of taking refuge had a form ...”  Concludes General Meaning’s presentation of Three Objects of Refuge.

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Reflections on Guru Devotion

Track 2 - Review Class 15:

I.  Conventional & Ultimate Objects of Refuge.
    Various contextual meanings of Conventional [kun dzob - ཀུན་རྫོབ་] in Buddhist philosophy. 

• Conventional:  Something that appears one way but exists in a different way.
• Conventional Truths, e.g.: Objects of our sense consciousnesses appear to exist objectively, from their own side, however, they do not; so their appearance is deceptive. 
• Conventional Refuge:  Oject of Refuge that appears to some people one way (i.e., as ‘final’), but exists in another way.

II.  Three Final Vehicles & One Final Vehicle [HANDOUT 13] – Q & A

Conventional Refuge – e.g., Hearer Arhats or Solitary Realizer Arhats appear as a Final Goal to proponents of Vaibhāṣika, Sautrāntika following Scripture & Cittamatra Following Scripture tenets.

  Those Arhats are “Conventional Objects of Refuge” for other tenet systems (i.e., Madhyamika and Cittamatra Following Reasoning) which assert: “those Arhats [& all sentient beings] will eventually attain the state of a Buddha".

A.  Debate mis-assertions based on out of context Nagarjuna & Asanga verses. [HANDOUT 14]

Conventional means that a phenomena appears to exist in a way but actually exists in another.  The connection between Conventional Truth and Conventional Refuge is that they both (deceptively) appear to exist in a way but actually exist in another.

B.  Two Rupakayas are Ultimate Refuges.

A Buddha person is either a Saṃbhogakāya [actual Buddha emanation] or its emanations, Nirmāṇakāyas.

Track 3 - Questions & Answers re issues such as:

• Buddhas have different/separate Mental continua:
• Buddhas do not have Buddha Nature (sentient beings do).
• Adjectives such as “inseparable”, “indistinguishable”, or “of one nature”, refer to the “qualities” of Buddhas.  Nonetheless, Buddhas have separate mental continua.  Those adjectives do not mean there aren’t different Buddhas with different mind streams.  [E.g., 10 bottles of Perrier: They are indistinguishable but they are different.] 
• Buddhas’ Emanations in our world must have faults so that sentient beings can perceive them.  However, the faults are a reflection of the sentient beings’ own minds. 
• And more.

Track 4 - Four Syllogisms indicate which Dharma & Sangha Objects of Refuge are Conventional Objects of Refuge [HANDOUT 14]:

Because [the Dharma] is to be abandoned, deceptive,
And an absence, and because [the Sangha] has fear,
The two types of Dharma and the Arya Assembly
Do not represent stable, foremost refuges.
        -- Maitreya's Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum)

Syllogism 1:  Dharma of Scripture, a Conventional Refuge, that like a Raft is abandoned after crossing the river.

Syllogism 2:  Arya Bodhisattva’s Direct Realization of Emptiness, is a Conventional Refuge, i.e., Deceptive (due to dependence on “Ignorance’s Imprints”).

IMPRINTS of IGNORANCE:  Arya Bodhisattvas on Path of Seeing, having seen Emptiness directly, take on a special body in their next rebirths.  The causes of their rebirths are: (i)  Imprints of Ignorance, (ii) Wishes (to be born to benefit beings), (iii) Compassion & (iv) Special Prayers.

Ordinary Rebirth (of non-Arya Bodhisattvas and other sentient beings):  Involves Four of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination:  (1) Ignorance and its Delusions trigger actions which leave (2) Karmic imprints (a compositional factor) in our mental continua. At the time of death, the links of (3) Attachment and (4) Grasping activate the Karmic potential for rebirth.

Arya Bodhisattva Rebirth: The Four Links of Twelve Links of Dependent Origination that trigger Ordinary Rebirth are replaced for Arya Bodhisattvas:

    Ordinary Beings                                               Arya Bodhisattvas

(1) Ignorance [its Delusions trigger                      (1) Imprints of Ignorance
actions which leave Karmic Imprints
in mental continua.

(2) Karma (a compositional factor)                      (2) Wish to be reborn for the
                                                                               benefit of sentient beings.

At death, two links activate Karmic potential for rebirth:

(3) Attachment                                                  (3) Compassion
(4) Grasping                                                       (4) Pure Prayers

Arya Bodhisattvas are still under the control of Imprints of Ignorance, hence:

Arya Bodhisattvas' wisdom that directly realizes selflessness is not an Ultimate Refuge because it is a deceptive phenomenon due to depending on the Imprints of Ignorance.

Syllogism 3.  Hinayana Nirvana without Remainder is not an Ultimate Refuge because it is merely an absence/elimination of the Truth of Suffering & the Truth of Origin.

   A Hearer Arhat –- having eliminated the afflictive obstructions –- is rid of the Truth of Suffering and its Origins

Syllogism 4. Hearer Arhats are not Ultimate Refuges because they have fear of the Cognitive Obstructions to Omniscience.

The Four Syllogisms indicate which Dharma & Sangha Objects of Refuge are Conventional Objects of Refuge, i.e.:

(i) (Generally) Dharma of Scripture; and Dharma of (2) Arya Paths and (3) Arya Cessations in the continua of Sentient Beings; and (4) Arya Sangha who have not yet attained enlightenment.

Track 5 -  Delineating Dharma of Scriptures that are Ultimate from those that are Conventional Refuges:

I.  [Per Gyaltseb Je] Dharma of Scripture that are not Ultimate Objects of Refuge (per he Uttaratantra) does not refer to the words that were actually spoken by the Buddha [literally, that "pertained to the Buddha's continuum"] because these are Ultimate Objects of Refuge. The Dharma of Scripture that are not Ultimate Refuge refers to “the teachings of the Buddha that appear to sentient beings’ ear or mental consciousness.”

1. Words actually spoken by the Buddha are Ultimate Refuges.  
2. Words we hear later or read are Conventional Refuges.

II.  Debates.

• Does the teaching of the Buddha still exist?  
• Do the words of the Buddha still exist? 
• Special qualities of Buddha’s speech.
• Refuges Left Behind upon attaining Buddhahood?

III.  Buddha Jewel endowed with Three Kayas is the only Ultimate Refuge

A.  Distinguishing Resultant Dharmakāya and from just the Dharmakāya. 

• The Resultant Dharmakāya is impermanent, and refers to the Buddha’s Mental Consciousness or Jñānakāya. 
• Over-arching category of Dharmakāya includes both the Jñānakāya and the Svabhāvikakāya [permanent phenomena, i.e., Cessations & Emptiness].
• Etymology & Qualities of the Three Jewels (དཀོན་མཆོག་གསུམ་)

B.  Qualities of Three Jewels:  1) Rare, 2) Free of Defilement, 3) Powerful, 4) Ornaments of world, 5) Foremost, 6) Unchanging.

According to Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the Uttaratantra, this teaches that the Three Jewels are the perfect refuge. Thus, we should not rely on other refuges such as worldly deities, etc.

NOTES of Class 16 (May 16) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.  

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 16th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

No Class on Friday, May 18

Geshe Kelsang Wangmo has been called upon to translate at Tushita on Friday so class will not be held. The next class is Monday, 21 May.

Class 15 - Conventional & Ultimate Refuge - Final Vehicles

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 15th class of Spring 2012 term held on Friday, May 11.

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 15:

Handout 12 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge:  Nature (i.e., meaning)  of the three Jewels according to:  a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets), cont.  b)  Mahayana Tenets (Chittamatra, Madhyamika Svatantrika & Madhyamika Prasangika Tenets): (1) Nature (meaning) of the (i) Buddha Jewel, (ii) Dharma Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).

Handout 13 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - (b)  Mahayana Tenets: (1) Nature (meaning) of the (ii) Dharma Jewel, cont.; and (iii) Sangha Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).  #3 - Difference between Conventional Refuge (not a genuinely final refuge) & Ultimate Refuge (genuinely final refuge, e.g., Buddha Rupakayas).

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Homework review:  Others benefit and self benefit, which is more important?

Track 2 - Taking Refuge: Conventional Refuge & Ultimate Refuge - [Handout 13]

• Meaning of Conventional for Buddhist philosophy.
• Ultimate Truth is the lack of inherent existence, Emptiness.
• Everything that exists other than Emptiness, itself, is a Conventional Truth (e.g., Buddha, Buddha’s love, etc.) are all Conventional Truths.

Conventional (Truth) is NOT:                              BECAUSE:                                                            
“Imputed by name and thought.”         Emptiness is imputed by name and thought.
“What appears to us”                           Emptiness appears to beings; Buddha’s Mind does not.
“it functions”                                       Permanent phenomena do not.
“What most people believe”                 Most people don’t believe in Buddha’s Omniscient. Mind).
“Interdependence”                              Ultimate Truth is interdependent.
“That which can be deduced                Extremely hidden phenomena, e.g., subtle workings of karma,
  from experience”                                    cannot be deduced by ordinary beings).
Samsara                                              Your/My contaminated Five Aggregates (Body & Mind produced by 
                                                          contaminated Karma and afflictions) & Samsaric Reality (created by 
                                                          each sentient being’s mental perception.

• Conventional refers to the Deceptive or False appearance of all phenomena (other than Emptiness). 
• Phenomena appear to exist in one way (objectively) but actually exist in another (subjectively).

Track 3 - Conventional Refuge and Ultimate Refuge.

• Meaning of an Ultimate Refugee is: an object of refuge that is genuinely final because they are the highest possible achievement.  E.g., for:
• Mahayana Tenets of One Final Vehicle: two Rupakayas of the Buddha;
• Hearer tenets of Three Final Vehicles: for greatest portion of sentient beings, attainments of Hearer & Solitary Realizer Self-Liberated Arhats are genuinely final.

Three Final Vehicles (for Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas).

• Three Final Vehicles tenet holders (Vaibhāṣika, Sautrāntika Following Scriptures and Cittamātra Following Scriptures) assert Refuge attainments that appear to them as Final:  Hearer Self-Liberation, Solitary Realizer Self-Liberation & a Buddhahood that ends.

Track 4 - One Final Vehicle

• One Final Vehicle (Three Temporary Vehicles) tenet holders (Sautrāntika Following Reasoning, Cittamātra Following Reasoning and Mādhyamika) assert the attainments of Hearer Self-Liberation & Solitary Realizer Self-Liberation are Conventional Refuges since they are not Final Refuges because, Buddhahood is the Final Refuge state for all sentient beings.
• One Final Difference in Buddhas: Karmic Connections with different Sentient Beings

NOTES of Class 15 (May 11) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.
   [This link was fixed on 9/8/2012.]

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 15th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Note:  Typo in MP3 file names that prevented download has been corrected.

Class 14 - Dharma & Sangha Jewels 8 Qualities

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 14th class of Spring 2012 term held on Thursday, May 10.  (FYI:  No class was held on Monday, May 7.)

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 14:

Handout 12 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge:  Nature (i.e., meaning)  of the three Jewels according to:  a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets), cont.  b)  Mahayana Tenets (Chittamatra, Madhyamika Svatantrika & Madhyamika Prasangika Tenets): (1) Nature (meaning) of the (i) Buddha Jewel, (ii) Dharma Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).

Handout 13 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - (b)  Mahayana Tenets: (1) Nature (meaning) of the (ii) Dharma Jewel, cont.; and (iii) Sangha Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).  #3 - Difference between Conventional Refuge (not a genuinely final refuge) & Ultimate Refuge (genuinely final refuge, e.g., Buddha Rupakayas).

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review:  Buddha Jewel’s Eight Qualities per (Maitreya) Mahayana Tenets:
Qualities (1) – Unconditioned; (2) Spontaneously Accomplished; (3) Not Realized by Other conditions; (4) Knowledge; (5) Love; (6) Ability; (7) Own Benefit; (8) Others’ Benefit.

• Categorizing Own Benefit & Others’ Benefit Qualities:  
• Per Maitreya’s categorization, 
• Qualities 1-3 are subsumed into the (7) Own Benefit category; 
• Qualities 4-6 are in Others’ Benefit category.
• Per categorization based on whether or not the qualities manifest to the perception of sentient beings:
• Qualities 1-6 are Own Benefit qualities.  
• Saṃbhogakāya and Nirmāṇakāya are Others’ Benefit qualities.

DHARMA JEWEL'S EIGHT QUALITIES per MAHAYANA TENETS:

The Dharma is inconceivable,  free of 'the two', and free of the conceptual awareness,
It is pure, luminous, and the aspect of an antidote;
It is that which is [freed from attachment], that which frees from attachment;
It is imbued with the very characteristics of the two truths.
      -- Maitreya, Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum)     

[Review] Dharma Jewel of Cessation’s Three Qualities:  Free of the

1. Four Extremes, 
2. Two (contaminated Karma and Afflictions), 
3. Conceptual awareness of improper mental engagement (i.e., a specific mind that is part of the process of generating delusions).

Dharma Jewel of Arya Paths:

• Effect of Dormant minds on Manifest minds: 
• On sentient beings;
• On Aryas on the Path of Seeing (dormant minds of Bodhicitta & realization of Emptiness):
• Delusions that can (e.g., attachment) or cannot (e.g., anger) arise in mental continua of Arya Bodhisattvas on Path of Seeing.
• Meanings of Attachment and Love. 

Track 2 - Dharma Jewel of Arya Paths (Truths of the Path) - Qualities 4-6:

    4.  Pure (its naturally free of defilements).
    5.  Luminous (realizes Conventional Truths & Ultimate Truths - not simultaneously until Buddhahood);
    6. Aspect of an Antidote.

• Differentiate Antidote from Direct Antidote:
• Every Path is an Antidote; but only one Path is a Direct Antidote.
• Direct Antidote is the mind that realizes Emptiness directly which is the:
• only Direct Antidote; and 
• Antidote to all delusions.
• All other Antidotes temporarily reduce delusions sufficiently to allow development of the Direct Antidote.

Dharma Jewel is either that which is free of attachment (Truth of Cessation) or that which frees from attachment (Truth of Path) - Qualities 7 & 8:

    7.  Truth of Cessation (subsumes Qualities 1-3):  "that which is [freed from attachment]"

ATTACHMENT:  Are Cessations always cessations of some type of Attachment? 

Two-fold Categorization of Obstructions:

• Afflictive Obstructions &  - overcome by Bodhisattva Aryas on the First-Seventh Ground (bhumi) 
• Cognitive Obstruction - overcome by Bodhisattva Arhats on the 8th-10th Grounds to attain Buddhahood.
• Afflictive Obstructions here are termed Attachment.

Track 3 - Questions & Answers.

Track 4 - Truth of Path /Arya Path (subsumes Qualites 4-6) is :

• "that which frees from attachment", i.e., produces Cessations (including cessations of cognitive obstructions [the imprints of attachments]); and
• is free from attachment.

Dharma Jewel is the Actual Object of Refuge 

• Distinguish:  Taking refuge primarily in something; and something being an Actual Object of Refuge. 
• Dharma is the defining characteristic of Buddha and Sangha Jewels:
• Persons -- Buddha or Sangha Jewels -- are not actual objects of refuge.
• Sangha and Buddha Jewels are special because they possess the Dharma Jewel (Truth of Cessation and Truth of the Path).

• Truth of the Path, analogous to the Sun is: 
• Naturally Pure (of darkness of Wrong Views), 
• Luminous (in realizing reality), and  
• Eliminates Darkness (of all obscurations).

SANGHA JEWEL'S EIGHT QUALITIES per (Maitreya's Uttaratantra) MAHAYANA TENETS:

Since they have pure perception of
The mode of existence, of the varieties, and of the inner wisdom,
And since they are wise, the Assembly, who never regresses,
Has unsurpassable qualities. 

Sangha Jewels possess at least one of Eight Qualities that reflect two aspects:  Pure Perception & Freedom from Obstructions.

Sangha Jewel Qualities 1-3:  Pure Perception [self-originated awareness (རང་བྱུང་ཡེ་ཤེས་) is a Wisdom mind that:

• Directly realizes its object (without dependence on conceptuality or words); i.e.,
• Directly realizes: 
• Ultimate Truth, 
• Conventional Truth, and 
• Sentient Being’s Buddha Nature (Tathāgatagarbha).

  1.  Pure Perception realizes that Ultimate Truth (ultimate mode of existence of all phenomena) is the Truth of the Path.

  2.  Pure Perception realizes Conventional Truth by -- after first eliminating false appearance of phenomena (i.e., of inherent/objective true existence from their own power) -- establishing that phenomena exist through mere imputation.

• Understanding Conventional Truth is more difficult for us than understanding Ultimate Truth, as the understanding is sequential.

  3.  Pure Perception of Bodhisattva Arya Jewels realizes sentient beings’ Buddha Nature (Tathāgatagarbha).

Meaning of Sangha Jewel exemplified by Eight Qualities is not a pervasion, e.g., Solitary Realizers do not necessarily realize all beings' Buddha Nature.

• Valid Pervasion demonstrate the Eight Doors of Pervasion that prove two phenomena are equivalent (Spring 2011 Handout 29), e.g.:
•  Whatever is an Arya Jewel is necessarily a Sangha Jewel; 
•  Whatever is a Sangha Jewel is necessarily an Arya Jewel; 
•  Whatever is not an Arya Jewel is necessarily not a Sangha Jewel, 
•  Whatever is not a Sangha Jewe is necessarily not an Arya Jewel,
•  If an Arya Jewel exists, a Sangha Jewel necessarily exists.
•  If a Sangha Jewel exists, an Arya Jewel necessarily exists.
•  If an Arya Jewel does not exist, a Sangha Jewel necessarily does not exist.
•  If a Sangha Jewel does not exist, an Arya Jewel necessarily does not exist.

Maitreya’s meaning described by Eight Characteristics provides us more details about the Sangha Jewel.

Questions & Answers / Discussion:

• Reasons why Arya Bodhisattva must have pure perception of Buddha Nature.
• Homework:  Why must practitioners prioritize others' welfare over self-benefit if the welfare of self and others are equally important.

Sangha Jewel Qualities 4-6:  Freedom from at Least One of the Three Obstructions.

ATTACHMENT 

Three-fold Categorization of Obstructions:

• Obstruction of Attachment (i.e., Afflictive Obstructions) -  Sangha Jewel Quality 4.
• Obstruction of Obscuration (i.e., Cognitive Obstructions) - Sangha Jewel Quality 5.
• Common Obstructions  - Sangha Jewel Quality 6,

4.  Free of Obstructions of Attachment (ཆགས་པའི་སྒྲིབ་པ་).
    Obstructions of Attachment refers to:

• Anything associated with Attachment, including 
• the mind that perceives inherent existence (i.e., Afflictive Obstructions).
• ATTACHMENT as a ROOT of SAMSARA:
• Some traditions stress Attachment as root (rather than ignorance) because attachment to the Self arises so quickly after grasping onto the inherent existence of the self.
• Upon eliminating the Obstructions of Attachment the Arya becomes an Arhat.

  5.  Free of Obstructions of Obscuration (ཐོགས་པའི་སྒྲིབ་པ་), a/k/a Cognitive Obstructions (to Omniscience).
  6.  Free of Common Obstructions (དམན་པའི་སྒྲིབ་པ་).

• Two interpretations of Common Obstructions by scholars:   
• Common Obstructions refer to the mind that aspires to merely attain self-liberation, which in itself, is an incredible mind in itself; but in comparison, Mahayana philosophers, however, hold that mind to be an obstruction to generating Bodhicitta, which they hold as superior.
• Common Obstructions refer to obstructions to meditative stabilization.

Technically, a Sangha Jewel need not be free of any of those three obstructions:  At the first moment of realizing Emptiness directly, person possesses the quality of Knowledge and is a Sangha Jewel, yet has not used that tool of the Path to eliminate any obstructions.  Before rising from that meditation session, the Arya will be freed of certain obstructions.

  7.  Knowledge (subsumes Qualities 1-3):   "Since they are wise, the Assembly, who never regresses ..." due to their Wisdom from the Paths of Seeing, Meditation, or No-More-Learning.

  8.  Release (subsumes Qualities 4-6) or elimination of different obstructions.

  
NOTES of Class 14 (May 10) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 14th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 13 - Qualities of Buddha Jewel & Dharma Jewel

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 13th class of Spring 2012 term held on Wednesday, May 9.  FYI:  No class was held on Monday, May 7.

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 13:

Handout 12 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge:  Nature (i.e., meaning)  of the three Jewels according to:  a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets), cont.  b)  Mahayana Tenets (Chittamatra, Madhyamika Svatantrika & Madhyamika Prasangika Tenets): (1) Nature (meaning) of the (i) Buddha Jewel, (ii) Dharma Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).

Handout 13 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - (b)  Mahayana Tenets: (1) Nature (meaning) of the (ii) Dharma Jewel, cont.; and (iii) Sangha Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).  #3 - Difference between Conventional Refuge (not a genuinely final refuge) & Ultimate Refuge (genuinely final refuge, e.g., Buddha Rupakayas).

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review:  Buddha Jewel’s Eight Qualities per Mahayana Tenets:

     (1) Unconditioned quality - Buddha’s Mental Consciousness lacks true existence (one aspect of the Nature Truth Body, Svabhāvakāya):  Correspondence to:

• Aspect of Sentient Beings’ Buddha Nature; & 
• Three Salient Points re lack of inherent existence of sentient beings’ mental consciousness.

Track 2 - Review, cont.  

        (2) Spontaneously Accomplished quality - Svabhāvakāya is free of adventitious defilements so Buddhas act to benefit spontaneously, without conceptual intentions.

        (3) Not Realized by Other Conditions (i.e., words & conceptuality) quality:

• Lack of Inherent Existence of any phenomena is a Slightly Hidden phenomena that can be Experienced by Sentient Beings, e.g., Nature Body (Svabhāvikakāya) that is free from the defilements of inherent existence (can be experienced by Arya in meditation);
• Extremely Hidden phenomena cannot be experienced by Sentient Beings, e.g., Nature Body (Svabhāvikakāya) that is free of adventitious defilements (which can only be realized by Buddhas’ Self-Originated Exalted Wisdom).
• Meaning of adventitious: Sanskrit:  āgantuka means:  newcomer, stranger, guest; Tibetan: (lo bo wa - གློ་བུར་བ་) means:  temporary, superficial, transient, passing. 

Track 3 - Conclude presentation of Eight Qualities of Buddha Jewel:

        (4)  Knowledge; (5) Love; & (6) Activities are Qualities for Others’ Benefit.
        (7)  Own Benefit Quality subsumes Qualities 1-3.
        (8)  Others’ Benefit Quality subsumes Qualities 4-6.

• DHARMA JEWEL (introduction).
• Two Aspects of Dharma Jewel:  Arya Paths and Cessations.

Track 4 - Dharma Jewels (per Maitreya) possess at least one of Eight Qualities that reflect the Two Aspects:

• Cessations [Quality 7] subsumes Qualities: (1) Inconceivable; (2) Free of 'the Two'; & (3) Free of Conceptual Awareness. 
• Arya Paths [Quality 8] subsumes Qualities: (4) Pure; (5) Luminous; (6) Aspect of an Antidote; Cessations.
• Quality (7) that which is [freed from attachment], i.e., Cessations; 
• Quality (8) that which frees from attachment, i.e., Arya Paths.

• Traditional Mode of Dharma Studies.

Dharma Jewel Qualities (1-3)

      
(1) Unconditioned quality -  Inconceivable – Free of the Four Extremes of being:

1. truly/ultimately existent, 
2. non-existent, 
3. both [ultimately existent & non-existent], and
4. neither [truly existent nor non-existent].

(2) [Handout 13]: Free of 'the Two', i.e., free of Contaminated Karma & Afflictions.

(3) Free of Improper Conceptual Mental Engagement (ཚུལ་མིན་ཡིད་བྱེད་ཀྱི་རྣམ་རྟོག་):
Free of a Mind that mind that grasps onto the inherent existence of the I and others by perceiving all its:

• objects as inherently existent; 
• objects as being inherently pleasant, unpleasant or neutral; and 
• its own feelings of pleasure, displeasure, or neutrality as inherently existent. 
• E.g., attachment arises for an object (person, situation) due to perceiving our feelings of pleasure as truly existent and as qualities of that truly existent object.  Mind realizing Emptiness directly cannot be affected by such improper conceptual mental engagement, so that freedom is a quality of the Dharma Jewel.

NOTES of Class 13 (May 9) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 13th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 12 - 1st Three Qualities of Buddha Jewel

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 12th class of Spring 2012 term held on Friday, May 4:

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 12:

Handout 12 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge:  Nature (i.e., meaning)  of the three Jewels according to:  a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets), cont.  b)  Mahayana Tenets (Chittamatra, Madhyamika Svatantrika & Madhyamika Prasangika Tenets): (1) Nature (meaning) of the (i) Buddha Jewel, (ii) Dharma Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 -  Review:

• Causal Refuge and Resultant Refuge.  
• Manifest, Slightly Hidden & Extremely Hidden Phenomena.

Track 2 -  Identifying the Meaning of Three Jewels per Mahayana Tenets – [Handout 12]

• Mahayana Tenets:  Mind Only (Cittamātra - སེམས་ཙམ་པ་), Middle Way (Mādhyamika - དབུ་མ་པ་) Autonomy (Svātantrika - རང་རྒྱུད་པ་), and Middle Way Consequentialist (Prāsaṅgika - ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་) Schools.
• Nature/Meaning of Buddha Jewel: “Perfected final refuge that is endowed with the Eight Qualities” (Maitreya’s Uttaratantra cited in Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s General Meaning). 
• Eight Qualities Exemplify Buddha Jewel: 
• “Self-Benefit Qualities of Buddhas” [Quality (7)]: (1) Unconditioned; (2) Spontaneously Accomplished; (3) that which is Not Realized by Other Conditions; 
• “Others Benefit Qualities" possessed by Buddhas” [Quality (8)]:  (4) Knowledge; (5) Love; (6) Ability; 
• "Two-fold Benefit Qualities":  (7) Benefit for Self (Qualities 1-3); and (8) Benefit for Others (Qualities 4-6).

• Oneself & Others are Equally Important: Ego Grasping and Cherishing unbalance sentient beings, so we train in holding the importance of others as greater than ourselves.  Self and other are relative.

Quality 1 – Unconditioned:  Buddha’s unconditioned Svabhāvikakāya (Nature Truth Body) is free of the defilement of true/ultimate existence:

• This aspect of the Svabhāvikakāya, the Emptiness of true/ultimate existence of Buddha’s Mental Consciousness (Jñānakāya), is Unconditioned because it is a negative, i.e., permanent (in sense of unchanging) phenomenon.

• Explanation of Svabhāvikakāya:  Freedom of Buddha’s Mental Consciousness (Jñānakāya) from 2 types of defilements:

        (1) Natural Defilement of Inherent Existence:

• Svabhāvikakāya, Free of Natural Defilement of Inherent Existence, is one aspect of Buddha Nature. 

• Buddha Nature has Two Aspects:   
• Lack of Inherent Existence of Sentient Beings’ Mental Consciousnesses (emphasized in Second Turning of the Wheel teachings).
• Sentient Beings’ (subtle) Mental Consciousnesses (emphasized in Third Turning of the Wheel teachings).

• Importance of the Buddha Nature that is Lack of Inherent Existence of our Mental Consciousnesses:

1. Without its Lack of inherent existence, our Mental Consciousness could not be transformed. 
2. Realizing its lack of inherent existence allows us to transform our Mental Consciousness.  
3. Cause of all our problems is Not perceiving/understanding the lack of inherent existence.

        (2) Adventitious Defilements:  

• Svabhāvikakāya is Free Adventitious Defilements (anger, attachment, etc., which produce all the problems of the world).  
• Adventitious Defilements only exist in the Mental Consciousness of sentient beings.  Delusions are mental consciousnesses; not sense consciousnesses.

• Two freedoms of the Svabhāvikakāya are of one nature with the Mental Consciousness (Jñānakāya) [i.e., exist on the basis of the Mental Consciousness]

Questions & Answers.

Track 3 - Quality 2 - Spontaneously Accomplished: Buddha’s spontaneously accomplished Svabhāvikakāya is free of Adventitious Defilements, i.e., is the Cessations of:

• Afflictive Obstructions (that keep us from Self-Liberation).
• Cognitive Obstructions (that keep us from Buddhahood)

Quality 3 – “That (i.e., two Svabhāvikakāyas) which is Not Realized by Other Conditions (mere words or conceptuality)”:

Sentient beings:

• Can (upon reaching the Path of Seeing) directly experience the Svabhāvikakāya that is the lack of inherent existence of the Jñānakāya.
• Cannot (even as Aryas) realize the Svabhāvikakāya that is cessation of defilements.

NOTES of Class 12 (May 4) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 12th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 11 - Three Jewels & Five Paths

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 11th class of Spring 2012 term held on Wednesday, May 2:

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 11:

Handout 11 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects, cont.:  #1 - (iii) Necessity for Scriptural presentation of Sangha Refuge Object.  Causal & Refuge Objects for Bodhisattvas, Hearers & Solitary Realizers (chart).  #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge (in two ways):  Nature (i.e., meaning)  of the three Jewels according to a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets) [i.e., Buddha & Sangha (as persons) are not Refuge Jewels; Buddha & Sangha Jewels are aspects of the Dharma].

Handout 12 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects:  #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge:  Nature (i.e., meaning)  of the three Jewels according to:  a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets), cont.  b)  Mahayana Tenets (Chittamatra, Madhyamika Svatantrika & Madhyamika Prasangika Tenets): (1) Nature (meaning) of the (i) Buddha Jewel, (ii) Dharma Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).

Charts 1-3.

CHART 1 - Fifteen' Paths - Five Paths of Three Practitioners.

CHART 2 - Mahayana (Chittamatra & Madhyamika ) tenets' presentation of Three Jewels & Five Paths.

CHART 3 - Hinayana (Vaibashika & Sautantrika) tenets' presentation of Three Jewels & Five Paths.

ALL SPRING 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review. 

• CHART 1 - Fifteen' Paths - Five Paths of Three Practitioners. 
• CHART 3 - Hinayana (Vaibashika & Sautantrika) tenets' presentation of Three Jewels & Five Paths.

Track 2 - CHART 2 - Mahayana (Chittamatra & Madhyamika ) tenets' presentation of Three Jewels & Five Paths.

Track 3 - Questions & Answers / Class Discussion.

Track 4 - Handout 12.

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 11th class of the Spring 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Refuge, the 3rd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.